You've Been Warned: Consumer Reports Says These Cheap TVs Aren't Worth Your Money

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If you're on the lookout for cheap TVs, you may want to hold back on buying certain brands and models, lest you risk missing out on getting your money's worth. At least, that's the thought behind a warning from Consumer Reports, which wants customers to avoid spending money on televisions that just aren't worth the investment. Yes, even if they come with a very low price tag.

The cost of a new television is often remarkably affordable, regardless of the size and resolution of the product in question. This frequently gets attributed to factors such as decreased public demand and high inventory levels. It's also crucial to note that competition is a factor, and some companies produce good-quality TVs that customers feel are worth the investment. The trick for many shoppers is to figure out which brands those are and what price constitutes a good deal.

There are a few cheap TV models that Customer Reports repeatedly warns Americans to avoid, and in some cases, a few companies that the review website suggests shoppers should give serious thought to before considering any of their products. That said, not everyone is so harsh on these low-cost offerings. Some reviewers and customers shared positive experiences and comments. Ultimately, it's best to do your own research concerning product specifications, verified user reviews, and available deals. With these thoughts in mind, here are the budget TVs that Consumer Reports has cautioned customers about purchasing.

Vizio's TVs are cheap to purchase, thanks in large part to the company's decision to outsource upwards of 99% of its manufacturing. But while that may give Vizio's bottom line a significant boost, the same can't always be said for the quality of their televisions.

That was the case for the M65Q6M-K04 model, a 65-inch 4K UHD smart TV, which Consumer Reports warned suffers from deficient contrast, which negatively affects the product's image quality. While some customers were pleased with the LED picture quality relative to the pricing, some customers experienced bizarre glitches, such as horizontal lines, despite their television being relatively new. One buyer complained the M65Q6M-K04 "wouldn't hold a sync." Meanwhile, one perplexed customer said the TV would sometimes turn on by itself. The Vizio M65Q6M-K04 received decent marks from RTINGS for its low input lag, VRR support, and decent response time when gaming. However, the same review found the product to offer a bland viewing experience when watching sports, TV shows, and movies; it could work as a computer monitor, though RTINGS called out its refresh rate of 60Hz. 

These TVs are sold for as low as $270. Still, this purchase might not be worth it if you are willing to pay a little more to guarantee excellent video quality. Moreover, you might want to pay careful attention to your warranty should you notice any unusual glitches early on.

The Toshiba 75C350KU or 75-Class C350 Series is a prime example of the dip in quality that the brand reportedly suffered following its acquisition from Hisense in November 2017. Though Toshiba was previously known for excellent products, such as the still much-loved Satellite laptops, this was not the case with TVs like the 75C350KU model. Currently, you can buy this item starting at $324.99 through Best Buy or $399 at Amazon; the 65-inch version is more cost-friendly at $325 through Amazon.

Despite having a 2160p resolution, Consumer Reports gave these 75-inch televisions low marks for poor image quality and mediocre High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities. CR weren't alone in their observation, with reviewers from RTINGS.com and PC Mag also calling out issues with the model. For instance, RTINGS shared that the 2023 release had "low peak brightness in SDR and HDR," and "noticeably darker edges on bright scenes of uniform color."

Even with such negative reviews, not everything about the 75-Class C350 Series gets discussed negatively. In addition to Amazon Alexa voice control, the Toshiba TV also featured low input lag, an invaluable feature for dedicated gamers. While the cheap price tag and big screen size might make this model seem worth the price, it might be a good idea to compare its specs to similarly sized and priced models from rival brands.

RCA is another once-popular brand that Consumer Reports mentioned as having seen better days. As CR notes, RCA was actually responsible for helping to establish the NTSC standards for color television. Yet, things are much different in the 21st century, and this brand is no longer near the top of the pecking order when it comes to TV viewing experience. This is reflected in the reception of the RCA RNSMU6036, a 60-inch LCD 4K UHD TV. In reviewing the TV, Consumer Reports stated that the "HD picture quality falls short," and "near-white highlights are overly peaked, and contrasty." CR also found that the HDR performance was insufficient. "When playing HDR content, the TV does not trigger new picture settings that are optimized for HDR."

Although certain audio and visual specs weren't necessarily up to par, CR did give the product credit for having good motion performance, despite lacking a blur reduction feature. This model isn't readily in stock, though in the past it's reportedly been sold for around $300. If you come across this RCA TV for sale, likely at a discount, you might be able to get it even cheaper. However, the scarcity of this product may signal that it's better to find a more positively reviewed alternative that is readily in stock.

Westinghouse TVs are often very cheap to buy, and the 24-inch WD24HX1201 is no exception. However, Consumer Reports doesn't think too much of the brand in terms of overall quality. In an article critiquing specific brands, CR acknowledged Westinghouse as a "historic U.S. electronics name" under the ownership of ViacomCBS. Per Consumer Reports, the brand's television sets are licensed through a Chinese company named TongFang, which manufactures Westinghouse TVs through a California factory. Sometimes, customers will see a name and be unaware of any changes that CR warns could impact the actual end product that makes it to market.

The Westinghouse WD24HX1201 is extremely cost-friendly, having gone for as low as $51.99 through some retailers. Its small size also makes it ideal for spaces where owning a huge smart HD TV just isn't practical, such as a tiny studio apartment or college dorm room. Despite its convenient size and pricing, some notable issues might be hard to overlook. For instance, while some viewers are pleased with the viewing experience, others reportedly believe the product does not meet full HD standards comparable to other models currently available. Meanwhile, one customer complained that the "sound is terrible," describing it as "tinny" in nature.

While CR and similar review sites believe Westinghouse's quality is compromised, the customer will ultimately have the final say regarding experience and value for money. If you prioritize size, convenience, and pricing over quality, this model could be worth it. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere for a better-quality TV.

In Consumer Reports' breakdown of the 55-inch Vizio M65Q6-L4, the reviewer deemed the HDR performance to be largely "ineffective," stating, "In our tests, the display did not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on our HDR content." Unfortunately, this isn't the only area where CR felt the product fell short, as the reviewer noted that contrast was bad during dark scenes, which made the image appear "flat with no sense of depth." Visual experience aside, Consumer Reports did give the model positive marks for motion blur performance. They also found the TV's sound quality to be about average compared to similar products.

The Vizio M65Q6-L4, also known as the Vizio Quantum QLED, was first released in 2023, but since then, review sites like CR and RTINGS have ultimately deemed it to be a mediocre product. RTINGS gave it a 6.5 out of 10 score, noting that the product is highly suitable for use as a PC monitor, but is only a fair to average option for watching TV shows, movies, or gaming. RTINGS did side with Consumer Reports regarding the TV's inferior HDR capabilities, while also mentioning its subpar selection of streaming applications.

Despite such criticisms, the Vizio M65Q6-L4 is relatively cheap to buy, priced at $378 on Walmart's website. Whether this purchase will be worth it ultimately comes down to your budget and needs, but for the price, there's a good chance you can find a better bargain.

If you were hoping to recommend the Vizio V555-J01 as an alternative to the poorly received M65Q6-L4, then Consumer Reports' review of this particular model could give you pause. Part of the V5 series of Vizio smart TVs, this product unfortunately has similar design issues to the Quantum QLED. For example, CR found it to have poor HDR performance with flat screen imagery. However, the V555-J01 model also has some sound quality issues. Consumer Reports said the audio performance might work for typical television viewing, but that "its shortcomings would be obvious with movie soundtracks and music."

Even with the warnings from review sites like CR, some customers found the Vizeo TV to be worth the purchase. The product is currently selling at $311.99 at Best Buy, where customers rate the model 4.4 out of 5. Satisfied buyers reportedly love the price and the ease of setup. Interestingly, most customers outright disagreed with Consumer Reports' take on the image quality, finding it to be very good. This reception could of course be tied to perceived value for money and what many purchasers expect for the related price tag. 

This is likely going to be a situation where your desire for a bargain will impact your perception of a brand and its products. Vizio has established itself as a brand that sells very affordable TVs. If you prefer cheap TVs, you may be satisfied here. That said, if you are seeking better reviewed TVs with higher end specifications, you will likely want to try a different brand and TV model.

The Westinghouse WD24HX1201 is a 24-inch model with a 768p resolution that ultimately left a lot to be desired. According to Consumer Reports, the TV has only a single HDMI and USB port, which is notable since smaller laptops often come with more USB ports. If the connection options leave you unimpressed, the viewing experience might not be much better. CR felt the color accuracy was below the quality demonstrated by rival brands, and that the "black levels were merely okay." Contrast was also below standards compared to the results found testing similar TVs. Lastly, Consumer Reports found the model to have a narrow viewing angle that offered a "below average performance" relative to other televisions.

Although Consumer Reports finds the Westinghouse brand to be lacking compared to top TV brands, customers are willing to overlook quality issues and have given the TV positive feedback on the official website. They not only uploaded images of their TVs, but also repeatedly praised the model for being easy to set up and use. There were also repeated mentions of how satisfied they were with the product for the purchase price. Similar sentiments were expressed by customers who bought the television through Best Buy. While availability can vary, the WD24HX1201 model can be found for sale starting at $115.99 on websites like Walmart and Amazon.

As was the case with Vizio, it may be that Westinghouse is a brand that consumers associate with bargain shopping, and so aren't going to hold it to the rigorous standards applied by Consumer Reports. That said, quality-minded shoppers will probably heed CR's warning and pass on this Westinghouse product.

Consumer Reports isn't impressed with RCA, despite many of its TVs being affordably priced. Although the site has not directly reviewed the 50-inch RLDED5098-UHD  model, CR's past warnings about RCA's brand and related quality appear to reflect how purchasers have come to see this television. For example, over 2,000 Walmart customers gave the TV an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5. 

Some customers were highly unsatisfied with the 2160p LED TV, opting to leave scathing 2- and 1-star reviews. Some purchasers complained about sound quality. A reviewer named Patricia, who left a 2-star review, claimed that the audio "was going in and out." Other 2-star reviewers complained about the difficulty in picking up channels and found the accompanying remote to be too small. Other notable reviews mentioned a terrible "burning" smell.

More than half of the reviews for the RLDED5098-UHD were ultimately quite positive, with many bringing up the low price as a plus. That aside, the complaints about various shortcomings strongly reflect overall quality issues that Consumer Reports has mentioned that some brands like RCA struggle with, especially as ownership of the brand name has passed to companies that do not consistently produce top quality TVs.